Someone Like You
by theatre-geek17
Summary: Melinda has a lot of different things going on during her 6th year. She's got her best friend graduating, her little brother revealing secrets, her crush falling in love with someone else, not to mention pass Herbology. It's enough to make a girl crazy.
1. Prologue

Hello, world. This is my first ever stab at a multi-chap in the wonderful wizarding world. Also, my first multi-chap in a while to even be seen by anyone, so here goes. The lovely and beautiful Becca (Aebbe) was kind enough to beta this prologue for me. I love her to bits. Ok, so the usual info, I own nothing, except for the characters you don't recognize (i.e. Melinda, Colin, etc.) and the plot bunnies bouncing around here. That is all. Enjoy.

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><p>Prologue – 2010<p>

It had been almost sixteen years since Oliver Wood had last set foot on Platform 9 ¾. He'd got off the train at the end of his seventh year and hadn't been back since. He'd never had a reason to come back, until now that is. Now, it was time for his daughter – his little Melinda – to board the Express for the first time, and he wasn't sure how he felt about it. On one hand, he was feeling a wave of relief at the prospect of getting some peace and quiet around the house once more. The acceptance letter had come a month before and Melinda had run all through the house shouting at the top of her lungs with joy, almost giving her mother a heart attack in the process. He'd found her jumping up and down on her bed, letter in hand and painfully large smile on her face. She'd begged and begged and begged until her father had agreed that they could make a trip to Diagon Alley the next day and get her everything she needed for the upcoming school year. He and his wife had been awoken the next day around six in the morning to the sound of the girl banging on their bedroom door, insisting it was time for them to leave. After insisting to her that they would have to wait a few more hours so that the shops had a chance to open, she had sat in their living room and pouted until it was time for them to leave. Once they'd actually arrived at the shops, Oliver had had to keep a tight grip on her to keep her from running off to Merlin knows where. With her hand firmly held in his, he'd taken her everywhere she needed from the painfully dull wait at Madam Malkin's to the visit to Ollivander's, who'd greeted him with a polite smile as he recalled the wand he'd sold to him over twenty years ago. The wand was what had excited her the most; she'd chased her little brother all through the house for about a week after getting it, insisting he let her practice some spells on him. Colin had refused very vocally. At one point, her mother had taken the wand from her and put it up where she couldn't get to it, just to be safe.

"Dad, can I get on the train now? Please? Please, please, please?"

Melinda was looking up at him with that pleading look in her eyes that usually got him to agree to just about anything. Between that and what Emilie, his wife, referred to as her "puppy dog pout", the girl could usually manage to get just about anything from him she wanted, as long as her mother wasn't around to be the voice of reason. She was in every sense a "daddy's girl", had been ever since she was born. That was one of the reasons half of him didn't want the peace and quiet. It was harder than he'd expected, saying goodbye to his daughter. He hadn't even done it yet and he wanted to Apparate her home and just keep her there. He was starting to realize why his own mother had been so weepy his first time on the train. It was quite the challenge; one he hadn't thought would bother him of all people. He could understand Emilie getting upset; she always seemed to become extra maternal when it came to saying goodbye to her children even when it was just for the night. But he was Oliver Wood. He'd endured numerous broken bones and injuries throughout his career, first as keeper for the Gryffindor team and then for Puddlemere United until his retirement two years earlier. He'd been taken bludgers to the gut and not shed a tear, though most of his run-ins with bludgers had resulted in a sort of lack of consciousness. To be honest, he'd rather take on a bludger than think about the fact that he wouldn't be seeing his little girl till Christmas holidays.

"You can wait a bit longer," Oliver told her, watching and trying not to smile as she seemed to deflate a bit at the thought of having to wait longer to board the famous train. He remembered how excited he'd been his first time there. His mother had had to practically hold him in place with a vice grip. "'Sides, you've still got to say goodbye to your mum and brother."

She immediately proceeded to go over to Emilie and allow herself to be pulled into a bone crushing hug as her mum began to prattle off everything she felt her daughter should be told before being sent off to school. "Now, remember, owl us once you get settled in to let us know which house you're in. And remember, that it doesn't matter what house you end up in. We'll be just as happy whether you're in Gryffindor or not. Even if you end up in Slytherin we'll be proud." Melinda made a small noise of disbelief from where she was being held captive in her mother's arms. "Make sure that you keep up with your studies and do your schoolwork. We don't want any letters from your professors saying you're falling behind."

"Keep an eye out for Quidditch tryouts," Oliver interjected earning a pointed look from his wife, which he simply smiled at.

"She doesn't have to try out for Quidditch if she doesn't want to, Oliver." The statement was directed at both husband and daughter.

"I'm just saying…" He trailed off as he noticed his youngest child start to wander away. Reaching out, he easily caught the collar of Colin's shirt, pulling him to his side. "Nice try. No running off today. You aren't leaving my sight."

Colin huffed, slumping a bit next to his father. At nine, he'd seemed to have taken a liking to wandering off when his parents weren't looking and causing them grief when they had to try and find him. Oliver was hoping that it would just be a phase that he would outgrow, quickly. He gave the boy's hair a bit of a tousle, resting his hand on his shoulder to keep him in place.

Emilie resumed informing her daughter of everything she felt was important for her to know before letting her go. "Keep in mind, that just because you're going away to school and won't have your dad and I around to keep you in line doesn't mean you can go around causing trouble. Try not to get any detentions, at least for the first few months; it'll happen eventually but let's make it later rather than sooner. Oh and I don't want to be getting any owls from the headmistress, telling us you've gone and blown up the toilet or something."

"I'll behave, Mum," Melinda told her with a seemingly innocent expression that neither of the parents wished to comment on. The sound of the warning whistle echoed through the station and students started to scamper onto the train, saying their final goodbyes. Emilie pulled her daughter into a tighter hug, tears starting to wet her eyes. The embrace started to last longer than necessary and the girl started to fidget in her mother's arms. "Mum…Mum, I need to go…The train's going to leave without me if you don't let go."

"Em," Oliver called to his wife, giving her a look that said it was time to go. Reluctantly, she let go, smoothing down the girl's hair affectionately before stepping back. Oliver gave Melinda a short embrace, doing his best not to think about the fact it would be some time before he saw her again. He'd leave the weepiness to Emilie for now. Colin was a bit resistant when it came to showing his big sister any affection and proceeded to wriggle the entire time she hugged him, which only resulted in her hugging him longer. She really loved to annoy him sometimes. She finally let him go, giving him a smirk that reminded her father of a set of twins he'd gone to school with. With a quick wave and smile to the rest of her family, she dashed off to board the train, disappearing in side the bright red steam engine.

The Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station and Oliver couldn't help but think that he would be counting down the days till they next visited Platform 9 ¾.

HPNG

Melinda Wood found herself wandering nervously down the corridor of the train, trying to find a compartment that wasn't completely filled with reunited friends, chatting all about Merlin knows what. Despite all of her excitement about finally being able to attend Hogwarts, she'd been secretly dreading this part. The part where you have to go up to someone you don't know and just start talking to them simply because you have to whether it's painfully awkward or not. She knew absolutely no one at Hogwarts. That was the price she paid for being the oldest. Colin had it easy. By the time he got there, he'd have her and all her friends (at least she hoped she'd have friends) to do things with and talk to. But her – she had to brave uncharted waters and take some initiative. At least that's how her dad phrased it. It was slightly nerve wracking. Maybe if she could just find an empty compartment than she could put off the awkward small talk till after she'd been sorted. If she could just find one.

"Looking for somewhere to sit?"

She paused in her search and to take a step back at the sight of the tall boy in front of her. She couldn't help but stare wide-eyed at the shockingly blue hair that covered his head in a messy fashion. She'd never seen anyone with blue hair, let alone someone her own age. The hair distracted her for a few moments before she realized that he was still waiting for her response. She quickly looked down at the floor, a flush creeping across her face. She simply nodded, glancing through the compartment doorway he was standing in. It was empty – except for him, of course. Well, that wouldn't be as bad. "Do you mind?"

"Not at all," he replied, flashing a bright smile as he moved around to grab her trunk. She didn't even have a chance to protest or offer help before he had the trunk in his lanky arms and was relocating it to the storage area of the compartment. She followed him in, dropping her shoulder bag onto the empty seat. He didn't look any older than her really; he was just ridiculously tall, in her opinion at least. Then again, she was used to having Colin around and she easily had a head of height on him. She watched as he put her trunk away and then they proceeded to do the awkward dance around each before finally settling down in their respective seats; her with a small look of embarrassment and him with a slightly amused smile. Leaning forward, he held his hand out to her and introduced himself, "I'm Teddy, Teddy Lupin."

She couldn't help but think his name sounded a bit familiar as she shook his hand but then again it could easily just be one of those old wizarding names from a family that had been around for centuries. "Melinda Wood. Um, your hair, I, uh, I'm not sure if you've noticed but it's…blue."

He let out a small laugh as a hand went up to run through the blue mess on his head. "I know. Brilliant, isn't it? It's almost as good as the time I had it lime green. That was crazy. I thought my gran was gonna have a fit when she saw that." While he chuckled, she gave him a look that fell somewhere between impressed and shocked. He must've noticed because he explained, "I'm a metamorphmagus so it's not that bad."

"A metamorphma-what?" Now, she was simply confused.

"It means, I can change how I appear," he informed her and, without so much as a blink of an eye, she watched as the blue left his hair and was replaced with a bright purple and then dark red and then back to the previous blue. She just sat there, mouth gaping open in shock. She'd never met a single person in her entire life who could do anything like that; it was kind of amazing. "So, are you a first year?" Melinda simply nodded, not sure what to say. She was still staring at his hair. If he noticed, he didn't show any inclination that it bothered or offended him. In fact, it seemed to amuse him a bit. "Cool, it's my second year. I'm a Gryffindor. Any idea what house you might be in?"

She finally tore her eyes from his hair, answering, "Well, both my parents were in Gryffindor so I suppose I could end up there. I guess anywhere would be fine really. Except Slytherin that is. I heard that's the house they put you in if you're like evil or something."

"I dunno about evil but they aren't exactly a group you'd want to meet in Knockturn Alley. If both your parents were in Gryffindor, your chances are better though. I mean, that's not the only factor but it helps. My dad was in Gryffindor and my mum was in Hufflepuff. Who're your parents? Anyone I've heard of?"

"Well, my dad was the Quidditch captain for three years. Ever heard of Oliver Wood?"

This time it was Teddy's turn to look wide-eyed. "Your dad's Oliver Wood? The Oliver Wood?" She could only nod as the blush she'd been sporting earlier started creeping back. "I saw him when he was still playing for Puddlemere when I was a kid. He was incredible. Does that mean you'll be playing Quidditch?"

The door to the compartment opened, distracting both of them from the conversation at hand. A blond boy had stuck his head in, looking over at Teddy and about to say something, till he noticed Melinda, that is. He gave her a small look of curiosity before turning back to Teddy, asking, "The lads abandon you or something?"

"Just been enjoying the company of new first years. Melinda Wood meet Nathan Pearce. He's in Ravenclaw so most of what he says is intelligent but slightly obnoxious. Nate, this is Melinda; she's a first year and the daughter of Oliver Wood."

Nate looked at her with a bit more regard. "Really? Well, hope we get you then. Could use a little help beating the Gryffs this year."

"Not a chance," Teddy retorted with a small huff. "You lot'll be left in our dust. Don't stand a chance against us. We've won the Cup three years in a row. You'd be daft to think you stand a chance."

The whole exchange was a bit more than Melinda had been expecting but it turned out to be rather entertaining. She simply sat back, pulling her legs up onto the seat, as she watched the two friends bicker. From the looks of things, Nate was keeping the argument going solely for entertainment purposes but Teddy seemed to be getting frustrated with the other boy. As it continued, she couldn't help but interrupt, "Are you two always like this?"

The boys exchanged a glance before answering in unison, "Pretty much."

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, making friends at Hogwarts.

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><p>So, if you would like to earn some delicious virtual cookies, leave me a little comment. I'll love you forever. :)<p> 


	2. Chapter One

Ok, ladies and gents, here's the first chapter. This time around the-panda-eater (Louise) served as my lovely beta. Muchas gracias, chica! This jumps ahead to Melinda's sixth year when the actual plot takes place. As usual, I own nothing that JK Rowling created, I just like to play around with it. However, Melinda, Colin, Audrey, Nathan, etc are all mine. No taking unless you ask first. Now for my lovely readers who are amazing and reviewed...

**brightbreath13**: Yay, you're my first reviewer! You're awesome, glad you like it. :)

**vicky199416**: I'm completely thrilled that I almost having you shipping OliverOC. Mwahahaha. ;) Thank you so much hon!

**Cassia4u**: Aww, thank you so much. Yay, a permanent fan!

**justalittle l o o n y**: ROMA! :glomp: I'm glad you like it, I always get worried writing from a kid's perspective. o.o

**chasingafterstarlight**: Thanks, Mad. As for the grammar, that's all thanks to Becca. She was an amazing beta. (I love you Becca.)

**crypticsouls**: Thanks, hope you enjoy the new chapter.

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><p>Chapter One – 2015<p>

"Ted Remus Lupin, I swear to Merlin, if you make me laugh during a single speech and get me in trouble with McGonagall, I will hex you into next week."

Melinda Wood – now in her sixth year at Hogwarts – had a finger pointed right in her best friend's face and a serious expression on her own. Teddy – now in his final year of schooling – was seated across from her with a mischievous smirk on his face. Audrey Hart – another sixth year and Melinda's closest female friend – was seated next to the brunette and simply rolled her eyes at what she knew was about to ensue, choosing to listen to the few words the headmistress always said before the Sorting Ceremony. Colin – Melinda's "baby" brother – was next to Teddy, hiding his amused smile behind his hand as he stared down at the table as a distraction. Little Fred Weasley – a second year who sat eagerly on Teddy's other side – looked both confused and curious as he glanced between his two older housemates. This was as much a normal part of the welcoming feast as the Sorting Ceremony and the start of term announcements, at least for them it was. The harsh look the brunette was giving Teddy was by no means deterring him of his mischievous ways. If anything, it only encouraged him more. Next thing any of them knew, he was sporting a duck's bill and making faces across the table. Melinda simply continued to glare at him. The bill was replaced with a cat's nose, whiskers poking out of his cheeks. Some of their fellow Gryffindors noticed the interactions and a few giggles could be faintly heard. A pig's snout appeared after a moment and, despite all her willpower, the brunette felt the corners of her mouth start to twitch. Luckily for her, the doors to the Great Hall swung open and everyone's attention was diverted to the newest arrivals at Hogwarts.

Everyone watched with interest as the merry band of first years followed the deputy headmaster and charms instructor, Professor Flitwick, who was easily two or three heads shorter than all of the first years. The new boys and girls looked around the Great Hall with that curiosity and wonderment that everyone seemed to experience the first time they entered. Melinda remembered when she'd first entered the castle during that first night five years earlier. She'd never been anywhere so huge or extravagant or just plain incredible as Hogwarts and she'd yet to go anywhere to rival the castle. Flitwick stopped the students when they reached the head of the room and took his place standing next to the Sorting Hat, resting on its usual spot. The little ones whispered between one another, probably all wondering how they would be placed, whether they would get put in the house their families had been in, worrying about their parents being disappointed once they were placed in a house. All those thoughts were quickly pushed aside when the Hat began to sing its song. Melinda couldn't help but smile as she watched several of the children jump in surprise, going wide-eyed and a few jaws dropping. Unless you had an older sibling or parent who explains the sorting ceremony to you, the Hat always came as a surprise. Because, honestly, how often do you run into a singing hat?

The song came to an end and Professor Flitwick pulled the scroll of names from within his robes, unrolling it. Half of the parchment rolled across the stone, easily longer than the man was tall. It made Melinda smile. If there were ever to be a professor she were to consider adorable, it would be Flitwick. But that might've just been because it amused her that he had to stand on piles of books just to be eye-level with his students.

"Anderson, Warren" was the first name he called out. A short blond boy made his way up to the Hat and set himself on the stool as the professor stretched on the tips of his toes to place the Hat on the boy's head. A few moments passed before the Hat cried out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" A round of applause from the Puffs filled the room as the boy made his way to the long table. It continued on as such.

"Asher, Jacob." "HUFFLEPUFF!" "Bates, Rachel." "RAVENCLAW!" "Bell, Thomas." "RAVENCLAW!" "Burton, Arianna." "GRYFFINDOR!" With each new addition to a house, there would be applause from the respective house. You could also see enthusiasm from the heads of the houses each time their own gained a new member. Professor Flitwick would make a squeak of excitement each time a new Ravenclaw would be declared. At the faculty table, Professor Longbottom – the Herbology professor and head of Gryffindor house – would become much more enthusiastic with his applause, especially when a sandy haired boy named "Finnigan, Liam" was sorted into the house. There was even a flicker of a smile on Professor Carrow's face as "Flint, Matthew" joined the Slytherin house, which was surprising considering the woman's generally unpleasant expression.

As they moved along the alphabet, Teddy began keeping an eye on the thinning out numbers of first years. He perked up considerably when the name "Potter, James" was called out. Their entire group watched as the first Potter to grace the halls of Hogwarts since the Second Wizarding War walked up to the Hat and sat down, slouching a bit so Professor Flitwick could place the Hat on him more easily. To Teddy, the boy was the little brother he'd never gotten. To Melinda, he was the annoying, little smart mouth she'd been babysitting over summer holiday for the past three years. Both teens had promised his parents that they'd keep an eye on the boy, whether he ended up in Gryffindor or not. Though there was little doubt about where he'd go. The track record for both sides of his family tree pointed him to a spot in the house his parents had been placed in all those years ago. But still, when the Hat cried out "GRYFFINDOR!" Teddy stood up and eagerly let out a loud whistle with Fred standing up as well to noisily cheer on his cousin. James made his way over to the table, dropping down into the spot next to the Finnigan boy, grinning from ear to ear. The ceremony continued and by the end there were two girls left waiting to be placed in their houses - two Weasley girls. Dominique went first; her pale blonde braid swinging as she walked up to the stool. For the first time in Merlin knows how many generations, the Hat cried out "HUFFLEPUFF!" The little girl sat on the stool frozen for a moment, eyes wide in confusion. Glances were exchanged between all the Weasleys and Potters at the Gryffindor table as they watched her walk over to join the Puffs, shoulders slumped a bit. Fred was now on the edge of his seat as he watched his sister walk up to the Hat, looking completely terrified now. The Hat deliberated for no more than a second before calling out, just as before, "HUFFLEPUFF!" Roxanne quickly dashed over to join her cousin, both of them with their heads bent and whispering to each other.

Teddy placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder as Professor McGonagall stepped forward once more and said a few words. The food appeared and all the others began to dig into the feast on the tables. Fred simply stared at the table, silent and confused looking. Melinda glanced from Colin to Teddy to Fred and back again. She knew the boy had been looking forward to having his little sister in his house, whether it was simply so he could bother her more easily or if he actually wanted his baby sister around, she wasn't sure. The older girl reached across the table and grabbed the younger boy's hand. "Hey, I know it's weird, not having Roxy here but –"

"How can she not be in Gryffindor? She's a bloody Weasley. I mean, our parents were in Gryffindor, our grandparents were in Gryffindor, everyone in our bloody family has been Gryffindor and she gets put in Hufflepuff? How does that happen? It's ridiculous. It's, it's –"

"Fred! Stop it. Your sister isn't in Gryffindor. It's okay. The world isn't going to come to a crashing halt. And if you repeat any of that to those girls over there, they'll spend their first night at Hogwarts, crying themselves to sleep. Now, if you can just keep your trousers on for two seconds, I'm going to go take care of this." Melinda stood up from the table and gave Teddy a look before making her way over to the Hufflepuff table. She paused when she reached a group of girls in her year, tapping the shoulder of one in particular. She tapped Nina Moon, an auburn haired prefect who was known to be one of the nicest girls in the school. The girl turned and looked up at her, smiling brightly.

"Hey Melinda, how're you doing? How was your holiday?"

"It was good, bit uneventful. Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow you for a moment. You've got a couple of first years that're a little upset about their placement."

"The Weasley girls?" she questioned knowingly. Melinda nodded and the Puff prefect stood up, following the Gryffindor as walked down the table to the youngest Weasleys.

"Dom? Roxy?" The two younger girls looked up at the older ones, both with less than enthusiastic expressions on their faces. "Hey, you guys remember me? I'm your cousin, Teddy's friend, Melinda." They both nodded, still quiet. "This here is my friend, Nina. She's a sixth year here in Hufflepuff." The prefect gave the girls a sweet smile that would put anyone at ease. "Now, I know you two are a bit upset right now but being Hufflepuff is just as great as being a Gryffindor; maybe even better. I'm sure Nina can tell you all about that. And if you have any questions about anything, anything at all, you can just go see Nina and ask her whatever it is. And anytime you get a little homesick or miss your brother and sister and cousins, you can just come by the Gryffindor common room. We'll make sure you always know the password. And if the Fat Lady gives you any trouble for not being a Gryffindor, you just tell her I said you could come in and if she has problem with it, she can take it up with me. Okay?" The two girls nodded, smiling and looking a bit more at ease now. Melinda proceeded to lean down and softly whisper the Gryffindor password into both their ears before straightening up again. She thanked Nina quietly and ruffled both the girls' hair before making her way back to the Gryffindor table. Settling into her spot next to Audrey, she scooped some potatoes onto her plate and grabbed a few pieces of chicken.

"Well?" Fred asked after a moment.

"I sorted it all out, Freddy. Don't worry your pretty little head. Now, eat your food before that thief next to you tries to snatch it off your plate." He glanced over at the third year next to him and gave the boy a slight shove when he saw the hand reaching for his biscuit.

"Whatever would we do without dear, dear Melinda?" Teddy quipped, a cheeky smile on his face.

"Live a painfully dull and incomplete existence," she replied, giving him a wink before turning back to her meal and lighter conversation topics.

HPNG

"So what're the chances of you helping me maintain an acceptable grade in Herbology that will make my parents happy but not making me feel the need to rip my hair from my skull?"

Audrey Hart couldn't help but let out a small laugh as she looked over at her best friend. Melinda was stretched out on her own bed, head hanging off the edge upside down and legs kicking in the air occasionally. The sixth year Gryffindor girls were setting up the dormitory the way they did every year. Audrey was unpacking clothes and putting them into the rightful places. Chloe Merchant, a blonde prefect from Liverpool, was hanging up various decorations that they brought each year for the walls. Yvonne McNamara, the current keeper for the Gryffindor team, was putting things away in the bathroom they all shared. Stella Argyros, an olive skinned girl from Greece, had conjured up a bookcase and was organizing all their texts for class as well as ones they'd brought for fun. And Melinda, well, Melinda was lying there, trying to pretend she was doing something important. Not that any of the others minded. She'd attempted to hang up pictures during their second year with a sticking charm she thought she could do. She'd ended up with her hand fused to the wall and the nurse, Madame Thompson, took half an hour to unstick her. After that, they'd all agreed that she would be better off simply supervising.

"When have I ever refused your pleas for academic help?" Audrey replied, levitating a stack of neatly folded shirts into an open drawer.

"Last year, right before the OWLs," the brunette shot back, rolling onto her stomach and giving her best friend a look of fake anger.

"Oh, Merlin! Honestly? That was because you were trying to get me to come up with some way for me to feed you Herbology answers during the exam!"

Melinda just brushed the comment aside. "Details." The other girls all laughed at her while Audrey simply rolled her eyes. "So does that mean I'll be passing Herbology with your help, Miss Hart?"

"Yes, Merlin help us both," Audrey answered with a sigh, closing the dresser drawer and moving to the wardrobe.

"Well, now that that's settled, I think I'm going to go…elsewhere." Melinda rolled off her bed, her sock covered feet quiet on the wood.

"So the seventh year boys' dormitory?" Chloe questioned with a knowing look.

"If you must know, yes," she replied, giving the blonde a slight glare only to earn a quick round of giggles from the girls before she ducked out of the room. She quickly went down the girls' stairs before turning and going up the boys'. When she reached the top, the door was open and she just let herself in. The boys' dormitory was considerably less organized than her own. Their trunks had been open and looked as if they'd attempted to begin unpacking. Michael Winchester, a Gryffindor prefect, was the only one actually unpacking his things. Samuel Jones, or Sammy as she affectionately called him, was leaning with his back against his headboard, a Muggle spy novel in his hands. She held back a giggle as she watched him push his glasses back up his nose only to have them slide back down once more. Will Hall, a loud Scottish boy she'd known since she was about three, was changing out of his uniform button down and into an old Scottish National Quidditch t-shirt. He was the only one to notice her in the doorway and sent a wink in her direction. She simply rolled her eyes. Will had always been a notorious flirt. Basically, if you were female and had a pulse you were his type. If you could call that a type. Gabe Anders, one of the Gryffindor beaters and the team captain, was bouncing a Muggle tennis ball against the wall. The only person missing from the room was the one person she was looking for. Will caught her curious look and gestured to the bathroom. So that's where the metamorphmagus was hiding. Deciding to wait, she went over and flopped down on Teddy's bed. The rest of the boys finally took note of her presence and gave her some form of greeting. Except for Sammy; the boy was far too immersed in his book to notice anything really. Just as she'd made herself comfortable on her best friend's old Holyhead Harpies comforter, Teddy came out of their bathroom and stopped with a curious look when he saw the brunette girl curled up on his bed.

"You do know that you have your own bed in your own room that you can sprawl out on like some lazy troll." He ducked just in time to miss the pillow that was thrown right at his head and couldn't help but laugh at the glare Melinda was giving him. "Don't you have better things to do than come up here and lay around our room? Like, unpack your own things?"

"I'm not allowed to help set up the room; you know that. I got bored. Figured I'd come here for entertainment. So are you gonna entertain me or what?" She looked up at Teddy with a bright smile as he picked his pillow back up and walked over to her.

"I'll entertain you, Mels," Will offered, a playful grin on his face as he raised his eyebrows suggestively.

"In your dreams, Hall," she replied, shooting him down with a scoff even though she was trying not to laugh.

"Every night," he retorted with a cheeky grin, flopping down onto his own bed.

A giggle finally escaped and she shook her head at the ridiculousness of the boy. Her attention was brought back to her best friend when the pillow she'd launched across the room hit her over the top of her head. She let out a small "oof" before glaring up at her best friend for a second before he flopped down next to her. He'd changed out of his uniform already whereas Melinda still had hers on save for the robes and the jumper. He had on a pair of track pants and a t-shirt for some Muggle band that had been popular before they were born and that he'd made her listen to a few times. Some group called The Rolling Stones; they weren't half bad but that didn't stop her from whining when he'd have listen to the records with him. She'd never understood why he was so fascinated with Muggle culture but he was. And as a best friend that meant she had to endure it with less complaining than others. Though it wasn't all bad. She'd actually come to enjoy the cinema, another one of Teddy's Muggle fascinations. She grabbed the pillow from him and stuck it under her head, curling into his side. His arm wrapped loosely around her shoulders and she could tell that he'd cleaned up from their train ride. He smelled like that soap his Gran had always bought for him and the minty toothpaste he preferred as well as that little scent she could only describe as just Teddy. The pair of them just lounged there, watching the goings on of his room. Michael finished up his unpacking before ducking out, mumbling something about prefect duties. Gabe simply excused himself, bouncing the ball across the floor and out of the room. Will had started to snore lightly after a few minutes; the boy had never been good about staying up very late despite his crazy personality. And Sammy was still sitting on his bed, still engrossed in his novel.

"So, you excited about your last year here?" she asked after a few minutes of quiet.

"I'll be excited after I pass my NEWTs and have a job out in the real world," he informed her. "Till then it'll be a lot of late nights in the library, studying with Nate."

"Does that mean that I'm gonna be replaced by a Claw and some dusty old books? Wow, you really know how to hurt a girl."

She could feel the laughter in Teddy's chest as he pulled her closer, placing a kiss on the top of her head. "Nobody could ever replace you, love. You're one of a kind."

"Damn straight."

* * *

><p>If you read it, review it. It doesn't take that long.<p> 


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